Chitosan/hydroxyapatite scaffolds for tissue engineering manufacturing method effect comparison

The regeneration of bone is one of the main challenges of modern medicine because many diseases, including trauma and tumor, can cause bone defects. Tissue engineering (TE) is a promising approach to cure these bone diseases because it allows the reconstruction of tissue by colonization and proliferation of healthy cells in an artificial extracellular matrix (scaffolds). The aim of this project was to prepare chitosan/hydroxyapatite CH/HA scaffolds, using various ratios and two different methods: powder hydroxyapatite (commercial) and in situ hydroxyapatite, and then compare their properties. The morphology, chemical composition and mechanical properties were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and compression tests. The scaffolds obtained showed an interconnected porous structure. The scaffolds with chitosan and hydroxyapatite manufacturing by in situ protocol, have better applications in tissue engineering, because they have a better morphology and allow the cell growth. These scaffolds are suitable for tissue engineering.